Colleton Center features new name, new line-up for big events

The Colleton Civic Center is now operating under a new name and has underdone a large facelift.

The area non-profit organization consist of the physical space that is formerly the county’s elementary school, and is located along Hampton Street near Walterboro. For the last several years, the Colleton Center has operated as a rental facility and community event space. This week, the center’s Board of Directors announced that the facility is now going to be called the Colleton Civic Center.

It is also being promoted as an arts and events-based facility, and features the community’s Hampton Street Auditorium.

The entire building has been going through a 14-month-long renovation and construction process that has been overseen by Colleton County. These upgrades were funded through portions of the county’s Capital Improvements Project Fund, which comes from a bucket of money fueled by the county’s additional one-cent sales tax. Countywide money from the additional retail-only sales tax is being allocated toward about one dozen projects happening across the county: these projects include everything from renourishment at Edisto Beach to expansions at the Colleton Recreational Complex and even water upgrades in rural Colleton County municipalities. As previously stated, a portion of these funds are also paying for the upgrades to the now Colleton Civic Center.

On Monday afternoon, community officials showcased the new upgrades through a tour and an open house. The center boasts multiple new physical and cosmetic upgrades, including the auditorium and its upgrades, a new foyer at the center and new meeting space.

“Over the past 10 years, we have often felt there may be a little confusion about ‘what is that the Colleton Center does? We heard from folks in the community that our name was a little vague, so we felt that now was the time, with the completion of the renovations, to re-brand ourselves, more specifically define ourselves in terms of who we are and what we do,” said Kathie Smith, chairwoman of the Colleton Civic Center. Smith issued the statement in a press release boasting the new upgrades.

The center also has a new Director of Programming and Production, Gregg Steele.

According to Steele, the center’s upgrades include new state-of-the stage and lighting; online ticket sales; new text alerts for those who are seeing shows; a regular performance schedule that showcases the Colleton Civic Center as the venue; and new partnerships with other area groups.

According to him, the center will also be featuring multiple new community events, including performances slated for October through June of 2019. These performances include an October 5 concert by The Spinners, with special 2013 American Idol winner Candice Glover.

Other upcoming performances include an October 26 show by country artist Ricky Skaggs and a Nov. 30 holiday performance by local acting group, The Hampton Street Players.

In addition to the live performances, the Colleton Civic Center is also going to feature a series of holiday-themed movies as part of a “Film Classics” series.

For more information on the center, and for ticket sales and a full schedule of events, visit www.colletoncivic.org.